Are dead bees a big deal?

[Grand Admiral Crunch]

Truck Full of Dead Bees Delivered to the EPA - Modern Farmer

Truck Full of Dead Bees Delivered to the EPA

By Dan Nosowitz on June 24, 2016

keep hives alive

The Keep Hives Alive Tour, a traveling protest of farmers, agriculture scientists, and activists, has been traveling around the country bringing its message to the masses.

Keep Hives Alive is a two-fold group: Their aim is both to educate about the desperate need for honeybees and to advocate for concrete legislation that could help protect them. As part of that effort, the tour includes an awfully stark reminder of just how bad things are out there in bee-world: a truck full of 2.6 million dead bees.

That amount, as Environment America’s Anna Aurilio told the Associated Press, is meager, all things considered: only about 75 hives. A whopping 44 percent of all beehives in the US were lost this past winter, and given that more than two million hives are needed for California’s almond crop alone, you can imagine what a tiny percentage those 75 hives are.

The various members of Keep Hives Alive, while in Washington, DC, this week, have met with members of the EPA, Congress, and the USDA to make their case, as well as to deliver more than 4 million signatures and, you know, those dead bees. Their demands primarily consist of some sort of ban of neonicotinoids, a class of pesticide that’s been repeatedly linked to weird, dangerous behavior in bees, including reduction in appetite and activity, inability to reproduce, and loss of brain cells.

The campaign is still ongoing, looking for more volunteers, donations, and petition signatures—you can read more about it here.

 

[Tellenbach]

This is a national crises that deserves the full attention of the government and scientific community. Even as a precaution, they should start banning potential toxins. Find out when this bee colony collapse syndrome started and ban all new pesticides that predate the problem by 10 years.

I don't want to pay $30 for a jar of honey.

 

[Grand Admiral Crunch]

This is a national crises that deserves the full attention of the government and scientific community. Even as a precaution, they should start banning potential toxins. Find out when this bee colony collapse syndrome started and ban all new pesticides that predate the problem by 10 years.

I don't want to pay $30 for a jar of honey.

Baklava would be expensive. I wouldn't make even once a year. Maybe there's artificial stuff I could use instead, but this would still be a problem for farmers and food production....How do you reconcile this ban on toxins with your Libertarian beliefs?

 

[Tellenbach]

How do you reconcile this ban on toxins with your Libertarian beliefs?

I don't believe the government should interfere with businesses as long as the businesses do not interfere with the well being, health, and safety of society. When you're destroying bees, you are also destroying the agricultural industry, raising prices on all plant and animal products, hurting poor people, and making it more expensive for me to enjoy a cup of honey sweetened green ice tea.

 

[ceecee]

It is a big deal and I support this ban. Fortunately I get all my honey from a farm about a mile away. Creamed honey on buttery toast could be one of the best things ever.

 

[Cloudpatrol]

Truck Full of Dead Bees Delivered to the EPA - Modern Farmer

[MENTION=20113]Tellenbach[/MENTION]

I don't believe the government should interfere with businesses as long as the businesses do not interfere with the well being, health, and safety of society. When you're destroying bees, you are also destroying the agricultural industry, raising prices on all plant and animal products, hurting poor people, and making it more expensive for me to enjoy a cup of honey sweetened green ice tea.

Until this spring I thought the 'bee thing' was beset by hyperbole.

No more.

Honestly, I feel like focusing on honey when discussing this is like: discussing ISIS and worrying most about the effect on tourism...

I LURVE honey too but the issue is so much larger in scope!

I recently helped my friend to cross-pollinate a few apple trees. Pollen from the anthers (the male part of the plant) had to be transferred to the stigma (the female part of the plant). It was NO small task. Labor intensive and tricky.

It made me view bee's with a new eye. I started to notice bee's EVERYWHERE, bouncing and jostling over plants everywhere I looked. I started to wonder: what if humans had to do the work of the bee's?!? It took my friend and I hours to do the work that bee's do in minutes. Our entire food cycle depends on this process!

Watching a video of a bee having a seizure in a lab from exposure to modern pesticides broke my heart when I started to do research. If we don't care about the plight of the bee's = we don't care about the future of humans. I truly believe that.

 

[kyuuei]

This is one thing I really do get worried about.. Bees are pretty important outside of mere honey production as well.. I worry for bats for similar issues, their reach on the ecosystem is expansive and a complex mix of human destruction and unknown forces are becoming a serious problem.

 

[boomslang]

Does anyone else just not have honey much, if at all?

It's pretty daunting to realise how much work goes into getting that honey and packaging and selling.

 

[Beargryllz]

Probably not a big deal. Industry standards will likely progress if a demonstrable method for improving yields is apparent. Failing that, an open niche offers opportunity for many species. Humans, being so quick to adapt, will likely observe one or both of these developments and act accordingly.

 

[Cloudpatrol]

Probably not a big deal. Industry standards will likely progress if a demonstrable method for improving yields is apparent. Failing that, an open niche offers opportunity for many species. Humans, being so quick to adapt, will likely observe one or both of these developments and act accordingly.

I often see the sense (clear logic) in what you write [MENTION=10233]Beargryllz[/MENTION]. I am not entirely sure what you are saying here, so wanted to ask: are you referring to specifically the honey industry or 'life of bee's' in general?

 

[Beargryllz]

I often see the sense (clear logic) in what you write [MENTION=10233]Beargryllz[/MENTION]. I am not entirely sure what you are saying here, so wanted to ask: are you referring to specifically the honey industry or 'life of bee's' in general?

All bees, I think. Odds are, a less honey-bee bee shows up and survives. Honey industry is small, but probably survives regardless in smaller volume. Maybe people brew less mead and spend more to sweeten up toast.

 

[Cloudpatrol]

All bees, I think. Odds are, a less honey-bee bee shows up and survives. Honey industry is small, but probably survives regardless in smaller volume. Maybe people brew less mead and spend more to sweeten up toast.

Hmmm. I agree that honey as a product can be subject to change (supply/demand) and honestly am not really concerned with that side of things.

As far as the pollination of plants + our food chain = that is where my real interest in this topic lies. I am interested in your theory re: another species showing up. My question is: doesn't adaptation of this kind in the natural world usually take a considerable amount of time (i.e. other species who have developed to replace earlier incarnations)?

I wonder if our food supply and the adaptation would overlap? Or, if disaster is somewhat inevitable with bee decline?

 

[Tellenbach]

Here's what I don't understand. It seems that there is still some doubt as to the cause of bee colony collapse syndrome. Some think it's a parasite and some think it might be a virus. Now, if bees are dying in greater than normal quantities everywhere in the U.S., wouldn't that pretty much rule out parasites and viruses? In other words, if the distribution of this problem is more or less uniform, then how could it possibly be a parasite? The parasite would have to travel very quickly across the nation and that's highly unlikely.

 

[Cloudpatrol]

Bees placed on U.S. list of endangered species list for the first time ever | National Post

 

[Lord Lavender]

What grinds my gears at times is that people are more worried about saving polar and panda bears than bees. Sure bears deserve to live but lets be honest if they all died it wouldn't affect humanity at all while if bees were wiped out it would have massive and distractions consequences for humankind (Starvation which leads to food price rises, wars and that sort of thing).

 

[Cloudpatrol]

What grinds my gears at times is that people are more worried about saving polar and panda bears than bees. Sure bears deserve to live but lets be honest if they all died it wouldn't affect humanity at all while if bees were wiped out it would have massive and distractions consequences for humankind (Starvation which leads to food price rises, wars and that sort of thing).

Hey Brain,

My earlier comments show I care a lot about the bees but I wanted to give a counter-thought to what you just said:

In addition to being cute, polar bears are also an “umbrella species”. They are connected to many other’s via a food web. ie. Polar bears eat seals. Without that taking place, the seal population would increase and affect the number of fish available that the seals feed on… The Artctic Fox then eats the remaining seal carcasses. So, they are dependent on the Polar Bear for food.

It’s also good to think on: biodiversity or the numbers of species. ie. There are millions of types of different Beetles. Each one is a specialist when it’s behaviour, living conditions, food…are examined. Each one plays a distinct role within the ecosystem it lives.

We can compare this to a gasoline motor. If one piece falls out, the entire machinery may be affected. We would not throw the part away, if we weren’t sure of it’s importance. We would save it so that we could learn (even later) about what role it plays and it’s usefulness in the engine.

Polar Bears and Panda Bears are also “Ambassador” organisms. Because they ARE aesthetically pleasing they bring attention to the plight of animals in general and the way that ecosystem change also affects the earth.

Which ultimately = affects US.

This link shows pictures of emaciated and dead Polar Bears.

Emaciated polar bear pictures raise global warming concerns - Telegraph

I was initially skeptical of the veracity of the pics, wondering if they were ‘pushing an agenda’. But, you can follow the National Geographic photographer etc… on different social media and see that the expeditions were righteous.

 

[Yuurei]

The other day I was walking to a Trader Joe's when I found some people with clipboards standing in front of the store. I didn't want to talk to them ( around here most causes go to entitled people who have things I could only dream of) as I walked by clearly ignoring they said
" Do you have time for-"
"No."
...honey bees?"
"Yes!"

This is a national crises that deserves the full attention of the government and scientific community. Even as a precaution, they should start banning potential toxins. Find out when this bee colony collapse syndrome started and ban all new pesticides that predate the problem by 10 years.

I don't want to pay $30 for a jar of honey.

Honey? That is the least of our concerns. Bees are what pollinate many plants-that many use as a food staple-which on their own could not reproduce in a great enough quantity to supply the world, or maybe even keep them from extinction.

 

[Mayflower]

The other day I was walking to a Trader Joe's when I found some people with clipboards standing in front of the store. I didn't want to talk to them ( around here most causes go to entitled people who have things I could only dream of) as I walked by clearly ignoring they said
" Do you have time for-"
"No."
...honey bees?"
"Yes!"




Honey? That is the least of our concerns. Bees are what pollinate many plants-that many use as a food staple-which on their own could not reproduce in a great enough quantity to supply the world, or maybe even keep them from extinction.

Exactly. It's like that "For Want of a Nail" scenario. They may seem insignificant, but they're actually one of the backbones of the ecosystem.

 

[citizen cane]

I struggle to see how this would not be a big deal. It has significant potential to set the stage for events which humans cannot adequately respond or adapt to.

 

[Lord Lavender]

Hey Brain,

My earlier comments show I care a lot about the bees but I wanted to give a counter-thought to what you just said:

In addition to being cute, polar bears are also an “umbrella species”. They are connected to many other’s via a food web. ie. Polar bears eat seals. Without that taking place, the seal population would increase and affect the number of fish available that the seals feed on… The Artctic Fox then eats the remaining seal carcasses. So, they are dependent on the Polar Bear for food.

It’s also good to think on: biodiversity or the numbers of species. ie. There are millions of types of different Beetles. Each one is a specialist when it’s behaviour, living conditions, food…are examined. Each one plays a distinct role within the ecosystem it lives.

We can compare this to a gasoline motor. If one piece falls out, the entire machinery may be affected. We would not throw the part away, if we weren’t sure of it’s importance. We would save it so that we could learn (even later) about what role it plays and it’s usefulness in the engine.

Polar Bears and Panda Bears are also “Ambassador” organisms. Because they ARE aesthetically pleasing they bring attention to the plight of animals in general and the way that ecosystem change also affects the earth.

Which ultimately = affects US.

This link shows pictures of emaciated and dead Polar Bears.

Emaciated polar bear pictures raise global warming concerns - Telegraph

I was initially skeptical of the veracity of the pics, wondering if they were ‘pushing an agenda’. But, you can follow the National Geographic photographer etc… on different social media and see that the expeditions were righteous.

Good points there. It is good to see both bear species as the archetype of destroying the world and even though in the grander scheme of things both are not important to humans it saddens me truly to see them be wiped out (I know not very ENTP of me,). They bring awareness to the problem that the world is being destroyed slowly. I like the fact that polar bears are the case study for global warming as i have studied global warming in class and there are many processes behind global warming. Firstly as snow and ice melt this will start to snowball (Pardon the irony ) off warming. I can see why polar bears are a ambassador as you describe it.